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We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5) The sufferings we endure are not meaningless …
Continue reading "Three Ways God Uses Suffering in Our Lives"
I encountered these provocative words from Albert Edward Day in Discipline and Discovery. While perhaps in some ways using exaggeration to make his point, Day strikes home the importance of cooperating with God in the process of spiritual growth. True holiness is a witness that cannot be ignored. Real sainthood is a phenomenon to which …
Continue reading "All Real Faith Involves Discipline: Albert E. Day on cooperation with God"
This past weekend at Eastbrook, we began a new series entitled "Power in Prayer: Learning to Pray with St. Paul." This first weekend in the series, I took us inside of Ephesians 3:14-21, one of Paul's notable prayers from this circular letter sent to churches in Ephesus and the surrounding area. I structured the message …
Continue reading "Prayer as Living within God’s Power and Love (Ephesians 3:14-21)"
This past weekend at Eastbrook Church, I continued our new series walking through the New Testament book of Ephesians, entitled "Ephesians: A Crash Course in Basic Christianity." This weekend, I continued with the second half of chapter 1, which offers us a "Crash Course in Knowing Christ." This is really a prayer of Paul that …
Continue reading "A Crash Course in Knowing Christ (Ephesians 1:15-23)"
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20) Have you ever been so overwhelmed by a sunset that you felt you had to tell someone? Have you ever been so excited that you simply were …
Continue reading "Praying with Paul: Ephesians 3 [30 Days of Prayer]"
Matthew Erickson 